Thursday 28 January 2010
this is a clip of very good timing in slow motion we got the idea of skateboarding from the thriller paranoid park a thriller based on skateboard culture and a curtain kids experience ending in a murder, and how he deals with it.
the shots of skateboarding in (1:55 - 3:14) also inspired our film opening.
Pitch Feedback from Andrea
I like your idea a lot, I'd really like to see some clips of the film that inspire you put on your blog.
I also think it is going to be very important for you to do some test footage with the fish eye lens and practise overlaying images to ensure you can get the effect you require.
I would also advise you to plan out very carefully the images to be used in the memory, are these going to be found images or are you going to take them yourselves. If any of you do photography or are particularly good at photography I would encourage you to take your own images for this, that way you have complete creative control.
Good work so far guys, well done.
I also think it is going to be very important for you to do some test footage with the fish eye lens and practise overlaying images to ensure you can get the effect you require.
I would also advise you to plan out very carefully the images to be used in the memory, are these going to be found images or are you going to take them yourselves. If any of you do photography or are particularly good at photography I would encourage you to take your own images for this, that way you have complete creative control.
Good work so far guys, well done.
This is our mood board it expresses the types of shots we are thinking of using in our thriller opening. the eyes,nose and mouth of the female are going to be overplayed on our night images fading in and out. The flash backs of the birds and the skateboards showing summer events becoming contrapuntal to the thriller opening, this should create a creepy spooky effect as it is slowly narrated, reaveling the cetral character slowy but still hidding most of her identity.
definition and sub genres of thriller.
Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more powerful and better equipped villains. Thrillers are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features.
If the genre is to be defined strictly, a genuine thriller is a film that relentlessly pursues a single-minded goal - to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax. The tension usually arises when the main character(s) is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy. However, because thriller is such a broad genre, it is being more commonly used to create hybrid genres. For example; action thrillers, legal, medical, political, crime. It has been known for some companies to produce erotic thrillers. Another popular hybrid is the psychological thriller. the list of combination's is virtually endless.
Blog advice from Andrea
Your blog is designed to evidence the research and planning you have done before you start filming your thriller.
A blog in the 'excellent' category could include some of the following detail:
1. *Analysis of student thriller*
2. *More than one detailed analysis of real thriller openings*
3. Practise soundtrack for your thriller
4. *Practise soundtrack for Taking Lives intro*
5. *Production company logo*
6. *Definition of thriller, outline of different sub-genres and hybrids*
7. *Analysis of examples of political, psychological, action thriller and crime thriller*
8. *Initial ideas post*
9. *Final idea post - for pitch*
10. Influences and the thriller generic conventions you intend to explore
11. Mood board
12. *Research into other films of similar sub-genres*
13. Props list - with illustrations
14. Details of costumes - with illustrations
15. Location report - where you intend to film, if it is a public place then you need to consider the logistics of filming there. If it is private property you must seek permission from the owner.
16. Complete shot list
17. Completed storyboard
18. Test footage with a full explanation as to the technique you were testing and how successful the test was.
19. Details of when you intend to film (dates, times and places), who is responsible for bringing what props etc, what actors are needed and who is in charge of ensuring the actors are informed of times and locations.
20. Practise titles, consider the job titles and the names you wish to include. Do some research into titles. Look at Saul Bass as an industry expert in title sequences.
A blog in the 'excellent' category could include some of the following detail:
1. *Analysis of student thriller*
2. *More than one detailed analysis of real thriller openings*
3. Practise soundtrack for your thriller
4. *Practise soundtrack for Taking Lives intro*
5. *Production company logo*
6. *Definition of thriller, outline of different sub-genres and hybrids*
7. *Analysis of examples of political, psychological, action thriller and crime thriller*
8. *Initial ideas post*
9. *Final idea post - for pitch*
10. Influences and the thriller generic conventions you intend to explore
11. Mood board
12. *Research into other films of similar sub-genres*
13. Props list - with illustrations
14. Details of costumes - with illustrations
15. Location report - where you intend to film, if it is a public place then you need to consider the logistics of filming there. If it is private property you must seek permission from the owner.
16. Complete shot list
17. Completed storyboard
18. Test footage with a full explanation as to the technique you were testing and how successful the test was.
19. Details of when you intend to film (dates, times and places), who is responsible for bringing what props etc, what actors are needed and who is in charge of ensuring the actors are informed of times and locations.
20. Practise titles, consider the job titles and the names you wish to include. Do some research into titles. Look at Saul Bass as an industry expert in title sequences.
Monday 25 January 2010
Saturday 23 January 2010
Idea For Opening..
In our group we have discussed many different options for out opening credits and came to the conclusion that the main focus would be in a taxi driving through a town at night to emphasise the lights and to give a more 'spooky' feeling to the credits, over this there will be a shot of a womans eyes in an opaque way so that you can still see the taxi driving through town, as this is happening the credits will pop in and out of the shot. Eventually the taxi will stop and the 'woman' will get out, then using a fish eye lense to show confusion she will be filmed walking around town and being apporached by people. We have yet to decide upon the music but this is our initial idea, this has come from the film taxi driver.
Why Thrillers Thrive...
- A sense of fear is created in the audience whilst subconsciously they know they are safe - ‘in our subconscious we are safe, sitting in a comfortable armchair’
-The cinima allows for the audience to actually see the danger, it makes it more real - you see him fall, you see him swimming’
-Thrillers allow us to experience ‘shake-ups’ without being in any physical danger - ‘we must have these shake-ups or we will grow sluggish and jellified.
-The cinima can leave the audience with an afterthought of fear - ‘surprise his imagination into playing tricks on him’
-The cinima allows for the audience to actually see the danger, it makes it more real - you see him fall, you see him swimming’
-Thrillers allow us to experience ‘shake-ups’ without being in any physical danger - ‘we must have these shake-ups or we will grow sluggish and jellified.
-The cinima can leave the audience with an afterthought of fear - ‘surprise his imagination into playing tricks on him’
Wednesday 13 January 2010
Analysis of vertigo opening titles...
thre is a clear use of objectivification of the female features (the shot of the eyes and lips) further more there is a use of shadows which creates a darkened sense of mystery as to whom this woman is and what relevance she has to the story. The computer generated swirls representing the iris show a falling effect and this creates confusion and disorientation as an insight of the falling character in the opening scene giving a deeper relevance tot eh film named vertigo
Ideas and Inspiration...
We liked the idea of the car scene as it allows the audience to establish the location and time of day
We like this opening because of the use of editing when it came to the title sequence. We liked how it was blended in with objects such as the bottle and the grave stone.
We took great inspiration from this clip because of the different editing techniques. Such as the quick cuts showing a flash picture of flying birds and all kinds of things.
We like this opening because of the use of editing when it came to the title sequence. We liked how it was blended in with objects such as the bottle and the grave stone.
We took great inspiration from this clip because of the different editing techniques. Such as the quick cuts showing a flash picture of flying birds and all kinds of things.
Conventions of a thriller...
-Suspense, sound and silence are used to create the edge of the seat feel for the audience.
- Protagonist in danger
-Fear of the unknown, this makes the audience use their imagination and everyones villan is different
- Damsel in distress, can be a man or woman made to look vunerable
- Flawed hero, eg vertigo. this is used by exploiting the fear.
- Identity in question/ stolen/ no identity this creates confusion within the film and gives the protagonist a reason.
- Complex narratives, flash backs, non-linear speeding up and or slowing down, a common feature of thriller films.
- Different perspectives, often the story will be told from different point of veiws in order to complete the story
- Lighting dark/shadows a way to conceal the villan and create suspense
-Film Noir a focus on the lighting in the film
-Mystery, enigma revealed eventually
- Location, familiar, abandoned. these can create different feelings within the character a house will give a false sense of secutriy however an abandoned place will give a sense of mystery and horror.
-Women, naievty, voyerism the idea of seeing a woman as parts shots of eyes and lips are often used as a symbol for feminism.
- Protagonist in danger
-Fear of the unknown, this makes the audience use their imagination and everyones villan is different
- Damsel in distress, can be a man or woman made to look vunerable
- Flawed hero, eg vertigo. this is used by exploiting the fear.
- Identity in question/ stolen/ no identity this creates confusion within the film and gives the protagonist a reason.
- Complex narratives, flash backs, non-linear speeding up and or slowing down, a common feature of thriller films.
- Different perspectives, often the story will be told from different point of veiws in order to complete the story
- Lighting dark/shadows a way to conceal the villan and create suspense
-Film Noir a focus on the lighting in the film
-Mystery, enigma revealed eventually
- Location, familiar, abandoned. these can create different feelings within the character a house will give a false sense of secutriy however an abandoned place will give a sense of mystery and horror.
-Women, naievty, voyerism the idea of seeing a woman as parts shots of eyes and lips are often used as a symbol for feminism.
Deadlines...
-Shooting deadline: Wednesday 24th February
-Rough Cut: 1st march
-Final cut deadline: 22nd March
-Writing draft: 15th March
-Writing Final: 22nd March
-Rough Cut: 1st march
-Final cut deadline: 22nd March
-Writing draft: 15th March
-Writing Final: 22nd March
Thursday 7 January 2010
Preliminary Task
this was our second attempt at the preliminary task after we had gained some experience of using the equipment during the filming of our children's film opening, and also the first preliminary task.
